Mountain Adventures: Cunningham Falls State Park, Thurmont MD

Cunningham Falls

The literature about Cunningham FallsState Park delivers, it is yet another park with multiple activities, scenic vista, and fantastic trails. The campgrounds are nestled in the mountain side under tall trees meaning the sun dapples trough the leaves and keeps your campsite cool. In spite of the weather (rain one day, sun another, and mist the third) we enjoyed the park and hiked each day.

Raw terrain due to erosion
One of the many scenic trails

The mountain forests were clear cut in the late 1700s and re-cut until the 1930 when the US government purchased the land for the first CCC training camp. Thus the forest is less than 100 years old and the trails show evidence of erosion as the mud slid down the bare mountain sides uncovering boulders.

Even though it is a new forest
there are many downed trees

Fungus and Emerald Ash Borer

The culprit and not hard to find

As with many parks there are actually two adjacent parks, Cunningham Falls State Park and Catoctin MountainPark (National Park Service). The Catoctin Hollow Road is the dividing boundary and reveals slight differences in management, development, and terrain. Both parks were built during the 1930s compliments of the CCC and the WPA.

Wolf Rock
Catoctin Mountain Park

Cunningham Falls State Park is the smaller of the two areas and geared towards families. All trails in the park are blazed and have intersection markers. Several trails have a gravel walkway and the park offers handicap access to the falls. Additionally there is a 42 acre like for fishing, paddling, with a beach area for swimming. Campers can select from pet-friendly (3), no-pet loops (3), and back country sites. The rangers offer a host of weekend activities for youth (young and old) ranging from hikes to talks. And someone posted a sign for Sunday church services.

Chimney Rock
Catoctin Mountain Park

Now Catoctin Mountain Park is rustic, from the entrance station to the remote campgrounds (no electric). This is a larger park with facilities for horse camping, groupcamping, a lodge, and training facilities.  From online mapping you find CampDavid is located in this park. Trails are equally beautiful, plentiful, and obvious but not blazed, at each intersection there is a directional sign. Keep your trail map handy as a guide.

Fungi or Street Lamp?

The area is dotted with small towns that line the two lane winding roads that crisscross the foothills. From here it is a short drive into the Antietam Battlefield area which is worth the visit regardless of your feelings on the US Civil War.  

Along the trails...
at Catoctin Mountain